The Horsemaster's Apprentice
by Copper Tragic
Summary: Elladan and Elrohir want to learn everything about horses, and Glorfindel knows it all. He agrees to take one of the twins as his apprentice, but only one. Who will he choose, and who will he disappoint?


Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof  
  
Author's note: I apologize in advance for any badly used horse terminology in this story. I ride Western, so am not very familiar with English saddles and bridles.  
  
~~~. . .~~~ indicates a memory or flashback  
  
*** indicates a new scene  
  
*****  
  
Elrohir held his hand across his brow, shading his eyes from the bright sunlight. Behind him and to the left, his elder-by-four-minutes brother Elladan stood, twitching like an excited child. Elladan's muscles were tense and his heart fluttering; to keep calm, he flexed his hands, balling and releasing his fists. In spite of his efforts Elladan whimpered slightly.  
  
"Hush!" hissed Elrohir, turning momentarily to glare at his brother. Obediently, Elladan was quiet, fixing his attention on the ring behind him.  
  
Hardly twelve years old to a mortal, the twins were finally being treated as adults by their father--well, not completely like adults, but no longer as children certainly, and today was a tribute to such treatment. Though they had been riding since only years after they could walk, the boys had never been allowed in close proximity to an unbroken horse. But, as it was common knowledge in Imladris, they knew that Glorfindel worked magic with the equines.  
  
"Well I can hardly help be excited," Elladan muttered.  
  
"Oh, and how?" Elrohir teased beneath his breath. "It is your fault we were not allowed last time."  
  
Elladan blushed, knowing it was true. Two years ago, when Elladan had been (in his opinion) silly and childish, as he no longer considered himself, Elrond deemed his sons ready to watch Glorfindel break a wild horse, as they so often begged. Elladan, not wishing to wait until the morning, severely lapsed in good judgment. . .  
  
~~~  
  
"Elrohir, wake up." The younger twin's eyes focused blearily on the eager face above his, candlelight illuminate the room softly.  
  
"Elladan? What is it?" Elrohir asked, half-asleep.  
  
Glancing about, as though anyone would be watching them, Elladan whispered, "Come on. Wear your cloak and boots."  
  
"Where are we going?" Elrohir insisted as he dragged himself out of bed. As his eyes shot out the window and he saw the moon hanging over the mountains, he shook his head. Luckily they were not superstitious boys, or the full moon and the midnight hour would have kept them inside.  
  
Watching Elrohir lace up his boots, Elladan answered, "We're going to see the horse."  
  
"Elladan!" Elrohir exclaimed. "You know we are not allowed to do this." But there was no true reluctance in his voice, and Elladan did not reply to the argument. They crept together from the house and to the ring outside.  
  
This was not the usual ring where the boys rode, practicing different gaits and the like, but a high-sided wooden circle, shimmering a pale silver in the moonlight. Wooden support beams held the boards in place. As the twins approached, the board nearest them thumped and quivered as the captive animal raged against its confines, and the twins froze, staring at each other, grey eyes growing wide.  
  
"This was your idea," Elrohir whispered.  
  
Elladan nodded. "I thought he would be asleep." The board gave another mighty shudder. For a few minutes the boys stood, watching, then Elrohir spoke again.  
  
"Go touch the board. I dare you." His eyes remained fixed ahead and his eyes wide in fear as he said this.  
  
"You do it," Elladan returned, equally frightened.  
  
Elrohir shook his head. "You are oldest." The board shuddered. "And this was your idea."  
  
Elladan bit his lip. "Well, if you are a coward," he replied for the sake of his own pride, and Elrohir fearfully watched his brother approach the ring. The horse had moved now to another board. Elladan reached up and hooked his fingers along a high beam. He raised one foot and found promise, then swung up his other foot. Having begun his ascent, he found it unexpectedly easy and pleasantly thrilling.  
  
Meanwhile, on the ground, Elrohir regretted his words. "Elladan, no!" he called. "I never meant it, Elladan, come back!"  
  
"It's all right," Elladan called softly. "Look, it's gone quiet. I am nearly at the top, anyway." Maneuvering his weight carefully, he swung and pulled himself up another few feet.  
  
The walls were no more than ten feet, and Elladan approximately half that. Now he glanced below him and felt a wonderful rush of power. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, the elfling sought higher supports and scrambled up the last three feet. As his hands caught the top of the boards, Elladan smiled.  
  
"Please come down!" Elrohir begged, but Elladan would not. Spurred on now by success, he pulled himself up, resting his feet on a diagonal beam and leaning his arms on the top of the board.  
  
"Oh!" The horse within the ring was light grey, a coat of sweat glistening over his body. His nostrils heaved with every breath he took. The power in him, the anger and beauty, was more than Elladan could handle, and he sighed with pleasure. Hearing, the horse turned and spotted the boy. He, the horse, rounded on him, bucked, and smacked the board hard.  
  
"Elladan!" Elrohir cried as his brother smashed to the ground, falling as the board heaved. He knelt beside the slightly older boy and cradled Elladan's head. "Please be all right." The elder twin's eyes had closed.  
  
"Sweet dust bunnies!" Elladan exclaimed, one of his odd expressions, as he shook his head, eyes opening. "Did you see him, Elrohir? Oh, he was beautiful."  
  
"No, Elladan, I was here, on the ground. Let us go inside now, please!"  
  
Elladan shook his head, no. "I want to see him again, Elrohir."  
  
Elrohir held his brother tightly. "No! What if you fall again?"  
  
"I am not going to climb, Elrohir." Elladan's eyes had a dangerous gleam in them as he stood, faltering a little and brushing his hand over a spot low on his leg where a rock had lodged. It bled a little.  
  
"Elladan, no. Elladan, I will tell Father!" Elrohir threatened.  
  
"You mustn't," Elladan replied. "Elrohir, listen to me. I can do this. I will not wait until tomorrow. I will break this horse myself."  
  
Elrohir thought to argue: you do not know how! But his brother was determined, so he kept his mouth shut. Elladan made his slow, slightly limping way over to the ring. There must be an entry. . .running his hands lightly along the wood, he found the heavily bolted door. It was a metal bolt, set even with Elladan's shoulder, so heavy Elladan could hardly lift it using both hands. When he did, the door remained shut. Elladan shoved, but the door would not open.  
  
Raising his eyes, he saw a bolt higher, at the top of the door, which happened to be tall enough to admit a horse. Then he realized: there was no seam for the top of the door. Here hinges, and a split with handles, heavy metal handles, on either side--but no op seam. In fact, the split reached up. . .to the top of the door.  
  
"All right." But how to undo the upper bolt? Surely there was a way, else it would not be there. Even a fully grown Elf would have much difficulty reaching the lock. A ladder of some sort? Nay, this was illogical, for the ladder must lean and should to door slip open, the results would be terrible. "I shall climb!" Elladan exclaimed, realizing that this door/wall, too, was supported by beams, although not as many.  
  
The two supports ran in a great X shape across both panels of the door. Elladan mounted the lower support near the ground, reaching up his arms to grasp the higher ledge. Slowly, frightened, he eased across the beam. Why was he doing this? The fear no longer thrilled him, but his determination had not yet fled. Sweat snaked along Elladan's sweat as he climbed carefully. The incision on his leg began to throb--he ought to turn back-- but he was so close!  
  
At first Elladan thought he was falling, then he felt the hand grasping him and realized he was being lifted off the beams. Elrond set his eldest son on the ground and looked at the boy, his eyes full of hurt and disappointment, and the elven lord struggled to speak. When he succeeded, he did not rebuke the child but said, "Go to bed. Now. And stay there. We will discuss this in the morning."  
  
Anger was not a secondary emotion nor a tertiary one for Elrond that night. When Elrohir had woken him, saying Elladan was going to try to break the horse, his first thought had been for Elladan's safety. He had been so scared then. What if Elladan was hurt? That horse was wild. What if it killed him? Then came disappointment: Elladan should know better. How could he be so thoughtless? But this came only when his fears had been relieved and Elladan was safe on the ground. Also he felt sadness at the loss of trust in his son, hurt at Elladan's lack of respect and a little anger, perhaps, if his heart had strength left to muster it.  
  
Elrond kept a firm hold on his sons as he escorted them back to their beds. Elladan paused in the corridor and, facing his father for the first time that night, swallowed bitter tears and said, "Don't be angry with Elrohir, Ada. I made him come. Everything was my fault."  
  
"I will settle this matter with both you and your brother in the morning, Elladan," Elrond replied, not unkindly but not warmly either. "Now go to sleep."  
  
Elrohir, after Elladan had disappeared, said, "Ada, it was not Elladan's fault, not really." He offered no explanation, but dashed into his room and sunk beneath the covers.  
  
~~~  
  
"Oh, Elrohir, look!"  
  
"I'm looking!" Elrohir replied.  
  
"He is magic, Elrohir, he really is," Elladan sighed, leaning on his brother as he watch Glorfindel and the new horse in the ring. "No wonder they called him Glory."  
  
***  
  
"Elrond."  
  
The elven lord looked up to see his friend standing before him. It was late evening but not quite nighttime yet. A fire burned in the hearth and in the next room the twins bent their minds to the compositions they had left unfinished to watch Glorfindel working with the horse earlier that afternoon. "Have I told you how amazing you were, Glorfindel?" Elrond replied, smiling.  
  
"Enough times," Glorfindel replied, shrugging off the praise, though Elrond suspected he had not meant so little. "I wish to. . .borrow something of yours, Elrond, with your consent and Lady Celebrían's." Elrond's eyes widened as he thought of the implications, and Glorfindel quickly blushed. "That was phrased badly," he mumbled. "The thing is, Elrond. . .I saw your boys today, by the ring, and I remembered two years ago--"  
  
"An event which will not be repeated, I assure you," Elrond interrupted.  
  
"Peredhil, you have long been my friend. Should the twins consent, I ask your agreement. . .I want to teach your sons, Elrond, if they wish to learn."  
  
"The horses?" Elrond asked, hardly believing.  
  
"The horses," Glorfindel said with a nod.  
  
In the library, Elladan leaned towards his brother and opened his mouth to speak, but Elrohir silenced him, saying, "Not now, Elladan! I'm nearly through."  
  
Elladan looked at his own hardly-begun composition and shrugged. He had all night. "But wasn't it amazing, Elrohir?"  
  
"Yes," sighed Elrohir, "and so were the land distribution issues--"  
  
"Not either!" Elladan replied. "Oh, if only I could do that, Elrohir. You know, it is no wonder he likes horses more than he likes people. If only. . ."  
  
"And don't I feel it, too," Elrohir replied, "but duty calls."  
  
Elladan, moved by empathy replied, "Right as usual, brother." The two worked quietly for a while.  
  
"Elladan? Elrohir?" Their heads shot up at the sound of Glorfindel's voice. The blonde-headed Elf stood in the doorway, watching the elflings work.  
  
"Yes?" they chorused.  
  
"You two were at the ring this afternoon."  
  
"Yes," they replied. Elladan began to say more, but Elrohir kicked him.  
  
"Would either of you. . ." Glorfindel stopped. No, that wouldn't do. "If you wish to. . ." He shook his head, then looked at their expectant faces. "Do either of you wish to learn. . ."  
  
"Yes!" they chorused for a third time.  
  
*****  
  
To be continued  
  
(cliché as this may be: Please review! I thrive off reviews! Was it any good? Should I go on or scrap this?) 


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